Simulacrum
by Isis Lied
Summary: In which it appears that there may be another demon with the ability to control Satan's blue flames— beware the simulacrum. Male!OC centric.
1. Chapter 1- Train from Hell

_Simulacrum_

In which it appears that there may be another demon with the ability to control Satan's blue flames— beware the simulacrum. Male!OC centric.

Rating: T+ for gore and profanity

Genre: Supernatural, Drama, and Adventure

A/N: ^^' So this idea wouldn't let me sleep. It came about when I realized that there aren't too many OC stories in the AnE fandom that are pairing-less (yes, I am at fault for this too) or that include male OC's. Thus, the protagonist (or should I say antagonist?) of this fic was born. I've never written from a male's perspective, but this should prove to be an excellent exercise to improve my writing. I just hope you guys enjoy the story! There should definitely be character development for both the exwires and the OC, so yah :P

Disclaimer: Still don't own Blue Exorcist.

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Chapter 1- Prologue: Train from Hell

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Generally, riding the Phantom Train was prohibited. The transportation demons were under Samael's domain and the Time and Space king didn't want droves of low-level scum polluting the easiest access to Assiah for sentient demons. When one was already in possession of a human host, traveling through the Gehenna Gate or other similarly unsightly means risked the chance of damaging the host body itself. With good, long-term hosts becoming more difficult to find, it made the chore of keeping the body healthy even more pertinent. Thus, with about a century of pleading and bargaining, I was one of the few demons that my cousin allowed full access of the trains.

It was definitely worth the effort as I recalled a time where Amaimon went the regular route through the Gehenna Gate and found himself without his eyes, an arm, and tongue. It had taken a full week for him to heal from the injuries, as damage wrought from anything born of Satan was akin to poison; it slowed the healing process of any demon, regardless of their strength or domain. It was with these thoughts swirling in my head that I felt a short tremor traverse the interior of the luxury passenger car, signaling that the demon had woke.

The metal contraption lurched forward with a vicious hiss, cogs roaring to life under the miasmic, ever static clouds of Gehenna. Any remaining spirits that had survived the trip to the world of demons floated hopelessly in the air, unable to leave the confines of the train. I swatted at the nearest sphere of light in annoyance, the clingy ghost tugging on my dark tunic. It left me immediately after, swaying back to the other undead passengers who were stuck in their shared eternal purgatory— that is, until the train decided to devour them.

I continued to sit passively as the Phantom Train steamed forward, following a series of invisible tracks until it came to the tangible border between Gehenna and Assiah. The passenger car bumbled forward, pressing against the swirling vortex until it gave way, allowing us passage into the land of humans. It was when I felt the steady roll of wooden train tracks under me that I let go of the metal rail, taking in the feats of human technology. It had only been a few years since my last stay in Assiah, but the towering buildings and speeding cars brought a smile to my face. How cute; the humans were still pretending to be civilized! Yet, death and destruction were commonplace— almost as common as the ravaged plains and empty abysses of Gehenna were to violence.

Though, to be fair, there was something almost… whimsical with humans and what they created. How the only limit to their genius was what their brains could imagine. I blame my relation to Samael, but even I had found a niche of my own. I pulled said contraption from my pocket, unraveling the white cords with a grimace. He was right; I really needed to invest in a cord protector that kept the wires from tangling. Even as a demon, the mess of wires was a pain to unwind.

Yes, music was my addiction, if you want to call it that. It was something Gehenna lacked— if demonic screams and howls did not list highly on your choice of music. The language didn't matter; being centuries old allowed me to adapt to human languages fairly easily. I loved almost all types of music, from simple drum beats to heavily arranged pieces. My favorite genre, however, was classical—it had a sound and tempo that only humans could make. A demon composer would only butcher the natural, pure tones; that is why I didn't bother learning to play an instrument.

With Mozart's Symphony No.39 in E-flat major buzzing through my sensitive ears, I watched the scenery roll across the windows. And for a brief, fleeting moment, I was content.

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It was dark by the time the train rolled into the empty stop, its lights flickering in a staccato rhythm. The rays of light bounced in the enclosed space, highlighting the platform I needed to exit towards. I quickly left the passenger car before the Phantom Train continued on, rolling past the stop to traverse the abandoned tunnels in search of human souls.

I walked in the opposite direction, towards the mouth of the tunnel; the Trains always stopped near Samael when in Assiah. Humming Chopin's Nocturne Op.9 No.2 , I found a sort of strange, though not unwanted, mirth invade my mind. I may not be a demon king, but I had a chance for glory and power all the same— a chance to even overtake a throne.

Tomorrow, I would find Satan's half-human child and take his flames for my own. But, that was tomorrow. Today, I would go to Samael.

Amusingly enough, it was the demon king who brought me to Assiah, and in turn, alerted me to the existence of the boy known as Rin Okumura. He was going to be my savior, whether I had to pry the sword from his dead hands or not. I just had to do one small favor for my cousin beforehand.

…Though, with Samael, nothing was ever that simple.

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It wasn't surprising that I only had to follow Samael's trail of otaku merchandise to find him. Only he would make a town with the largest anime store in the world. It was akin to following a line of body pillows; his supernatural power leaked across True Cross town, along with the smaller retailers of anime goods until I found myself at the gate to the Academy.

It was only the second time I had visited the demon in his school, and the building was impressive, perhaps even more so in the night. Old-fashioned gas lanterns lit the entirety of the school, bathing the area in a sort of archaic atmosphere. It actually remained me of Gehenna, though it wasn't crumbling or smothered in demon skeletons like many of the buildings there were. I pressed a hand to the gates that barred me entry, feeling coils of static crackle dangerously against my skin.

As expected, there were enough charms, spells, and barriers to have even Satan reeling. I tried again, knowing that Samael had most likely felt my presence when I first touched the gate.

Just as my hand went for the dark metal, the gates swung open. I no longer felt any barriers; so the jester-like demon had noticed my presence…

Regardless, I remembered the flights of stairs fairly well, the maze of doors and hallways nothing but mere hindrances as I eventually found myself in the final hallway of the east wing of the Academy. Here, I could feel the air crackle with power. Samael was definitely inside the room.

Before I could reach for the doorknob, the door swung open, revealing the violet-haired king. He hadn't changed much, just the bags under his eyes seemed even darker, more prominent than just a few years ago.

"Acacius, is that you? My, my, your new host is quite cute~!" Samael fawned, ushering me into the spacious office. I took a seat in one of the gaudy pinstriped sofas.

I couldn't help the minute glare that passed my face at the older demon's words. Hosts were hard to come by nowadays; the only compatible human I found was a young teen, no older than seventeen. I had only possessed the body long enough for my natural, Gehenna-induced hair color to take up the roots of my hair. The messy, raven locks were a backwards version of the usual splatter-pattern seen in many sentient demons. The crown of my head was a dark blue, which faded to a coal black. My eyes, however, were the same piercing gold, which was a relief and my skin radiated with the same paleness as most demon-possessed humans.

I cleared my throat before speaking, hoping that it would hide my annoyance. "My last host… decayed too much. This was the best I could do on short notice. It's not often that you request my presence. Now, what do you need, Samael?"

The demon king chortled loudly. "Such a serious tone really takes away from your youthful appearance! But, if you wish to speak of business and not catch up, I understand," he paused, reading my face, "Oh, and how many times must I tell you to call me Mephisto!? It's the name I've been using for the past three-hundred years!"

He motioned for me to stand, pulling a manila folder from his desk. I approached him, noticing with a grimace that he was a good foot and a half taller than me. I was roughly about 5, 4' thanks to my new host body.

"My favor can be simple or incredibly complicated, depending on how you decide to go about it." He opened the folder, revealing the pictures of two brothers. Each had a single form with a list of information revealing age, weight, and even blood type. Under the photographs, I read the names _Rin Okumura _and _Yukio Okumura_.

"I need you to help train these two. Your ability to emulate and copy your opponent's abilities is an invaluable asset. You can teach Rin how to control his flames and Yukio how to _properly _control his emotions. I want you to transfer into cram school and blend in with the exwires. It is only to Rin and Yukio that you reveal the extent of your powers. You will train them to hone their power and in turn, you will gain their trust. What you do with that trust is up to you." There was a hint of malice in his forest green eyes, but they disappeared as a puff of smoke appeared at his right, revealing folded pieces of clothing.

He grinned widely, fangs showing as he spoke, "And you'll need to wear the school-issued uniform. You can't wear black all the time!"

I frowned, eyebrows furrowing. I liked my clothing just fine. But, it was Sam—I mean, Mephisto. I needed to play along if I wanted to fulfill my plan. I took the clothing proffered to me with little fanfare, keeping my facial expression neutral as the demon snapped his fingers, a torrent of papers floating into the air. I blinked, still unused to the manipulation of space. My powers lied in mimicry, but unless I truly spent time studying the ability, I could not perform it perfectly. And even after all this time, the king's powers still proved difficult to master.

"I'll pencil in your last name as Faust for now in the roster. Say that you're a _very _distant relative. And if anyone asks, especially in cram school, about your hair color say that it's dyed or at the very least, your great ancestors were water demons."

I nodded, absorbing the man's words. I had to earn the trust of the Okumura twins, and then break it, as all good demons do. Even if I upset Mephisto, he couldn't do much if I took the entirety of Rin's powers. The demon was no match for the flames; not even his parlor tricks and illusions could save him.

Just as I left the office, Mephisto called out one final time, "Acacius!"

I turned around, nodding my head to the side. "Hmm?"

"Did I mention that you'll be living in the same dorm as the Okumura twins? I hope you enjoy your high-school life~!"

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A/N: _Acacius_ literally means "not evil" in Latin. Yep, the irony's on purpose :P I wanted to throw a spin in the usual 'new transfer student oc' storyline, so don't expect too much romance. Though, I may lean towards Izumo/OC in the future. We'll see. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read the chapter and I'll see ya guys next time, when the exwires meet the music-loving mimic demon :3

_**Review?**_

-Isis


	2. Chapter 2- Being 'Human'

**A/N: *psst* this story takes place before Rin's nature is revealed; canonically, it is right after Paku quits cram school. That's all I wanted to say ^^ Hope you guys enjoy the chap!**

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Chapter 2- Being 'Human'

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The rest of the night was spent in the company of Mephisto and his spacious office. I didn't sleep much; no sentient demons did, anyway, so we literally talked the night away. He filled me in on the current affairs of Japan, though it was more like a laundry list of recently occurring anime. Still, I listened as attentively as I could; to upset the second strongest demon king would be foolish— and a death sentence at my current power.

With a cup of tea in my hands, I savored the heady brew, the barest hint of jasmine bringing a content sigh from my lips. Humans had their uses… Gehenna lacked a varied palette. It was just sand and ruin as far as the land stretched. There was no literature, art, music, cuisine. Just an endless power struggle between the ranks of Baal punctuated by mock politics. While treaties existed and land had been divided disproportionally by domain, the lines between them were often skewered by war. And sometimes I grew bored of all the needless bloodshed. Skeletons were only novel for a short time, after all.

My face must have betrayed my thoughts as Mephisto gave his usual sneer. He attempted to cover it with his gloved hand, but for what reason escaped me.

"Acacius, are you fretting over the state of Gehenna? It's unbecoming of a demon, you know."

I put the fanciful rose-patterned teacup down onto the plate, crossing my legs. "You left Gehenna for similar reasons, if I recall. Regardless, you're really one to talk of behavior unbecoming of a demon. You help fund a school for exorcists."

This brought peals of laughter from the demon's lips. He put a hand to his stomach, loud guffaws slowly decreasing in frequency. It was a good minute before he composed himself, clasping me heartily on the shoulder as he wiped tears of mirth from his viridian eyes. I don't know if it was on purpose, but the strength of his arm on my shoulder made me lurch forward slightly. Perhaps I had spoken too freely; this was Samael, after all, the second strongest demon in Gehenna, not including Satan.

"Now this is why I like you~! So honest. A rarity among humans and demons." Mephisto teased, setting his own cup of tea down on the wooden table between us. He lounged on the opposite pinstriped sofa, mimicking my own relaxed position. A sort of mistiness entered his eyes and I knew that he had forgotten about the conversation at hand, thoughts elsewhere.

We sat there for a while in a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. That was the thing with the demon king; his moods consisted of either incredibly chatty or vindictive and manipulative. I could practically hear the cogs turning in his brain. For the centuries I had known the demon his silence had always signaled the beginning of a theatrical play— orchestrated entirely by himself. And it looked as if I were the main actor.

I sighed. "What are you thinking about?"

He gave a wide grin, fangs exposed. "Oh, nothing… just, I'm glad you decided to drop by for a visit, Acacius. I'm sure the Okumura twins will benefit greatly under your tutelage."

For some reason, his smile made me shudder.

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In the morning I left the demon's office in search of the 'abandoned' male dormitory where Satan's sons lived.

It seemed sensible to move my 'belongings' into the dorm when the Okumura twins were in school. I had a rudimentary knowledge of school systems, but considering Mephisto told me to use my key at a specific time in the evening, I assumed regular school lasted to that time. I found the run-down two-story building with little hassle, as the violet-haired demon had been kind enough to give me a map with the male dormitory circled. My memory was fairly good, and coupled with my spacial recognition skills, it made the ten minute walk from the main hall where Samael's office was to the dorm an easy excursion. By the time I entered the building I had already memorized the entirety of the campus with the map alone.

I had been given a brief explanation of the dormitory. It had been slated for demolition, but Mephisto had saved it, giving the large building to the twins. There was apparently no air conditioning, and the communal bathrooms did not have proper pluming. The first floor where the kitchen resided was the only part of the building to have electricity and running water as well. Luckily, there were two functioning bathrooms on the first floor, meaning that I didn't have to share with the twins.

I pulled open the sliding door beside the twins' room, laying out the essentials the demon king had given me. The uniform, which had been wrapped in a clear plastic, plopped soundlessly onto the twin-sized bed. With a sigh, I tugged off my dark tunic, begrudgingly changing into the required attire. I turned to the body-length mirror, frowning at my appearance.

I wore the uniform properly, with the blazer buttoned, striped tie firmly secured under it. The fabric was soft, and the True Cross emblem rested snugly over the breast pocket. It was absolutely degrading; I looked like a high-school student, not a centuries old demon. If anything, the dark shadows under my gold eyes made me appear studious, like a human who stayed up late working on homework.

"To hell with this," I muttered, pulling at my unruly raven locks. My host hadn't bothered to cut his hair in a while. Lovely. The locks looked like rivulets of seaweed, to my distaste. This wouldn't do at all. I pulled my hair back, tying most of the longer strands into a low ponytail. It trailed just at my shoulder, hiding the emblem of True Cross. Ah, now this was much better…

With nothing else to do, I lounged lazily in my bed. Digging out my headphones, I placed the buds in my pointed ears, deciding that I was in the mood for some soft jazz. With my eyes turned to the popcorn ceiling, I could only sit and wonder as to what exorcist classes would be like. Well, at least the irony of the situation would keep me entertained for a while.

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Taking the cram school key from my pocket, I pressed the brass metal into the lock. Turning the doorknob, I was met with an endless hallway, checkered tile leading to a series of closed wooden doors. I stopped at the door marked 1106, pausing for a moment.

My knowledge of human customs was somewhat lacking, but even I knew that first impressions were important. I needed to appear as normal and human as the rest of the cram school students.

Smoothing down my attire, I took a deep breath and opened the door. My eyes widened. The classroom was completely empty.

_Well, it doesn't hurt to be early. _I shrugged to myself, taking a seat somewhere near the middle of the room. I took the time to scan the classroom, chuckling to myself.

It looked as if Mephisto hadn't spared even a yen on the exorcist classrooms. There were tattered paintings placed haphazardly across the room, the sickly green paint peeled disgustingly where the wall met the dusty wooden floors, and the stack of what I assumed to be demonology textbooks were in shambles. The teacher's desk in the front of the room looked to be broken down the middle, taped back with little thought to appearances. The chalk board was dusty and it looked as if only one eraser-sized piece of chalk remained. Even the students' desks had probably never been dusted or cleaned for years. I ran a finger across the desk before me and grimaced; it was absolutely filthy. The desk was covered in layers of dust.

Before my musings about the state of exorcism classes at True Cross could make me question my reasons for agreeing to Mephisto's plans, I heard the doorknob jingle. A girl with dark purple hair walked in, looking at me with what appeared to be annoyance.

"Oi, you're in my seat." She called out, crossing the rows of desk to glare directly at me. Her crimson eyes narrowed as I merely moved over a seat.

I gave a forced smile. "My apologies. I just transferred into the class today. I'm Acacius Faust." I held out my hand, not bothering to stand up. I wouldn't let some human girl toy with me; if she wanted to act cruelly so be it. I'd continue to act pleasantly in regards to my human persona. Perhaps it would anger her enough that she'd leave me alone.

To my surprise, the girl shook my hand, though it lasted about a second. As soon as her hand touched mine I froze, senses flaring. Such power… I could feel it coursing in her veins. Her ancestry must have been steeped in demon blood. As I sat dazed she huffed, taking the seat next to me. Her sudden action broke me from my haze. I raised my eyebrow; so it wasn't enough to scare her off… a pity.

"…Izumo Kamiki." She spoke suddenly, pulling a textbook from her bag. She wasn't looking in my direction, but I nodded all the same. I needed to act nice to gain the classes' trust, after all.

"It's nice to meet you, Kamiki-san." I said formally, turning my attention to the door. This time three boys walked in, all taking notice of me.

"Who are you?" The first boy questioned, his hair reminding me of a rooster.

I gave another forced smile. "I am Acacius Faust. A new student. I hope we can get along." I held out my hand as I did for Izumo Kamiki.

It seemed that the cram school class would continue to surprise me. The teen clasped my hand, giving it a firm shake. "I'm Ryuuji Suguro. You already seem better than Okumura."

"What I'm curious about is how you got to sit with Izumo-chan~!" A pink-haired youth stumbled forward, looking heartbroken. Ah, so he had a crush on the girl. Interesting…

I chuckled at the youth's antics, keeping my voice light and pleasant. "I didn't realize that sitting somewhere could be a feat."

The brown-eyed teen removed himself from the ground where he had previously been rolling around in self-pity, crocodile-tears still running down his face.

"I-I'm Renzou Shima. I'd say it's nice to meet you… but I'm already jealous of you!" He wailed, holding out his hand. I reached to shake it, only to have a shock traverse my arm upon contact. There was something almost inhuman about the boy. He had a great power inside him as well, something even more powerful than the violet-haired girl. Just what was he hiding under all his theatrics?

Regardless, I turned my attention to the third teen who had entered the classroom. He stayed back, perhaps put off by my unusual appearance… or he sensed what I really was.

"Excuse me, but I don't believe I caught your name." I spoke to the bespectacled boy, giving the softest grin I could muster.

"S-sorry. I'm Miwa Konekomaru." He responded shyly, giving a curt bow. I nodded back, pleased to see that he was only shy. He was one less student I had to worry about.

Soon enough, the rest of the class arrived, minus the twins. There was someone in a hoodie, whose face I could not see. He sat directly behind me, his presence unnerving. I hadn't even needed to touch him to know the amount of power resting inside him. For a class of first-year exorcists, there seemed to be many with latent power.

A light-haired teen with a puppet followed shortly after, whose power also radiated in waves. He spoke harshly to the rest of the exorcists in the room before sitting at an empty desk away from most of the class. A blonde girl with emerald eyes followed right after, introducing herself to me with a series of quick bows. I chuckled, following back with a single bow. Her familiar, an infantile greenman, after seeing my face, buried itself quickly in her golden locks, squeaking in fear. However, the woman did not notice her familiar's distress and took her seat, giving me a final warm smile before setting her attention to the front of the class.

The clock ticked away as all the students took their respective seats. I drummed my fingers in the rhythm of Fur Elise on the desk, waiting for the twins.

They both arrived not a moment later with Yukio dragging Rin by the collar of his shirt.

"Sorry for being late, class. Nii-san didn't feel like coming to class today, so I had to drag him here." He smiled sweetly, though I could tell it was a façade to hide his annoyance. Rin took his seat beside the blonde girl, totally unaware of my presence. He was too busy glaring at his brother to notice the demon in the classroom.

Yukio noticed me as soon as he dropped his satchel on the teacher's desk, his cerulean eyes widening. I could tell immediately that he knew what I was.

"I didn't realize we were getting a new student. What is your name?" There was a noticeable tinge of coldness to his voice. His right hand was already poised by his holster.

The class hushed immediately. I stood up, moving to the front of the class in a lackadaisical manner. I bowed, looking directly into the teacher's eyes. "I'm Acacius Faust. I am a distant relative of Johann Faust. I look forward to becoming friends with all of you."

"Everyone, exit the classroom immediately. I need to speak to Acacius privately. Even if you are related to Faust, I was not alerted of a transfer. You are not on the roster." He barked out, not giving any room for the class to argue, given his tone of voice.

The students obeyed, exiting through the door. Rin, however, stayed behind.

In seconds, Yukio had a gun pressed to my forehead, finger on the trigger. His movements were so quick and precise that I couldn't hide my shocked expression. "How did a high-level demon such as yourself infiltrate the academy?"

Rin gawked, pointing at me in surprise. "Y-you're a demon?! But you look younger than me!"

Even with my host's life in danger, I had to suppress rolling my eyes. "For exorcists, I can't believe only your brother noticed; I'd say my pointed ears, claws, and slanted pupils were enough of a hint."

"S-shut up!" The dark-haired teen growled back, unsheathing his sword. He was overtaken by cobalt flames.

"What are you doing? Sheath your sword! Do you want to be caught?!" Yukio reprimanded, not taking his eyes off me.

I couldn't hide my glee. This was exactly what I was waiting for.

With a laugh I took a step back, letting the blue flames overtake my body. The same horn-like flames mimicked Rin's as I gave a bow, placing a clawed hand over my heart. I narrowed my golden eyes, studying the twins. "I am Acacius, a Time and Space demon. I can copy any demon's ability. And I'm here to train both of you."

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**A/N: lol, you're not making the best first impression on the twins, Acacius (even if the rest of the class likes you). Anyway, I was so excited for this story that I had to make a quick update!**

**Review? I'd love to hear what you guys think of Acacius so far ^^**

**-Isis**


	3. Chapter 3- Suspicions

Chapter 3- Suspicions

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At my words Yukio lowered the barrel of his gun to where it was now aimed at my chest. Rin on the other hand moved into an offensive stance, face contorted in confusion. He gripped the flaming katana tightly in one hand, blade pointed in my direction.

"What the hell are you talking about?! And how do you have the blue flames?"

I glared darkly, dropping the 'nice transfer student' act. With a sigh, I ran a hand through my messy locks, tired eyes narrowing.

"I told you already. I am a mimic demon. I can copy any power. Even Satan's flames." My voice was laced with confidence, though every muscle in my body was straining under the weight of the fire. Rin's power was equivalent to that of Satan's; the only difference was their experience. The same unbridled flames that were rumored to have created Gehenna were accessible by the dark-haired teen. He was just unable to tap into their full potential— currently.

When I was only a few centuries old, full of hubris and stupidity, I had made the mistake of trying to steal Satan's power as my own. Instead, the flames nearly burned me to death, their power and intensity too difficult a burden to bear. Fortunately, Rin's flames lacked the same intensity, and under my control (or for as long as I could keep the fire from consuming me) they only drained my power, not my life.

However, this was not something I could disclose to the twins; they needed to be under the impression that I had perfect control of the flames, that my blue fire was equal in power and intensity of Rin's. My gift of mimicry did have its flaws and no potential enemy could know. Any power I copied I could only tap into by roughly fifty percent and the demon I was absorbing the power from had to be in a certain range for me to feed off their energy. To steal the power entirely, however, was still possible.

I just needed to kill whoever I preyed on.

Returning my attention to the sons of Satan, it appeared that my explanation wasn't enough for either of them.

"That's bullshit!" Rin rebutted, taking another step towards me. I don't think he had any real intention of attacking me, however, as it seemed akin to a scare tactic. He was still only holding his katana with one hand; if he were planning to tear into me with the blade he'd use two hands.

I could not say the same about Yukio. He brought the gun back up to my face, not a sliver of compassion in his eyes. "Father Fujimoto told me that when Rin awakened demons would be after him. You say you're here to train him, but I've heard nothing of this from Sir Pheles, who supposedly let you into the Academy. I'm sorry, but I can't believe such a blatant lie."

I would not be surprised if he was wholly prepared to take my life. His intuition was unexpectedly sharp. To infer that my intentions were anything but benevolent, and to even pinpoint that it had something to do with Rin's power, was admirable. Yukio Okumura was definitely the person I'd have to be cautious around. If I wasn't careful, I'd have to kill him as well which would be such a hassle.

For a moment, I observed the disheveled classroom. I thought I had sensed something when Rin unsheathed his sword, but it quickly disappeared at my mental probing. Still, the situation at hand was almost laughable. Here I was, a centuries old demon, being accosted by a fifteen year old half-demon and his powerless exorcist brother. Surely there was some irony in having the sons of Satan pointing weapons at you for the sake of humanity.

Before I could even attempt to lie further, I heard a familiar bellowing laughter. At the sound we all turned our attention to pinpointing where it came from, thoughts on attacking each other shoved aside. Though, I already knew who was waiting in the rafters.

A flash of pink and white fell from the ceiling, landing perfectly on Rin's back. The unlucky teen let out a wail of surprise and pain as the demon teasingly rubbed the sole of his red boots into the boy's shoulder blades, stepping off a moment later.

"Oh, my apologies Okumura-kun. I didn't see you there."

Typical Samael— err, Mephisto.

The demon king moved just out of the angry half-demon's reach, sidestepping towards me. On reflex I extinguished my flames, knowing that the last thing I wanted to do was injure Mephisto— or reveal how weak my flames really were. He then proceeded to clasp me on the shoulder, other hand pointing to the flabbergasted twins.

"Now, now, Acacius is telling the truth. He is to be your private tutor— no one, especially anyone in the exorcist order, can know. We wouldn't want the Vatican getting any wrong ideas. It would be quite... problematic for our dear friend, no?"

His crooked grin did nothing to assuage the twins' worries.

Pushing the bridge of his glasses up, Yukio spoke, "That still doesn't explain everything. There is no record of a mimic demon existing— not even one under the domain of Time and Space. He," the exorcist shoved an accusatory finger towards me, "does not have a single page in any grimoire or demonology book."

At his words I stepped forward, folding my arms. This brat was annoying; I really didn't want to rattle off an explanation, but I definitely didn't want Mephisto to intervene. I sighed to myself. Half-demon or not, they were both still children. And children, regardless of their species, were prone to questions.

"If you must know, there aren't many mimic demons alive. Once our powers develop we are normally killed by our parents who fear that we will one day devour their power entirely. We are constant targets because of our potential. That's why you won't find a page about us— for all intents and purposes, we do not exist. Those that know we are more than legends persecute us. We hide, we struggle, and the strong survive in secret."

My explanation brought an uncomfortable silence to the classroom. Rin sheathed his sword, still glaring at Mephisto while Yukio reluctantly holstered his gun. Seeing that the situation had diffused (as my words must have struck a chord for the twins— being the bastard sons of Satan, after all), the jester-like demon clapped his hands, sneering.

"I'm glad to see we've come to an understanding! I'll let Acacius decide on a training schedule. Now, I think it's about time you call in the rest of the students, Okumura-sensei. You're wasting valuable class time~!"

And with those final parting words the demon disappeared, waltzing happily out of the classroom.

Composing himself, Yukio asked us to take our seats before ushering the cram school students back inside.

Ryuuji was the first to speak, eyes locked to mine. "We saw Headmaster Faust walk out of the classroom. So he's really related to you, huh? Even though you look nothing alike."

I gave a short laugh. "We are very distant cousins, but he was kind enough to support me when I asked to study at his school. Our personalities are different as well, I'm afraid. I'm not too fond of theatrics and most jokes are wasted on me."

The boy grunted in affirmation. "Good. I hate people who just leisurely live their lives. The threat of demons is real, and serious." The way he glared at Rin afterwards made me almost positive that he held some sort of grudge against the half-demon.

"I-is there any particular reason you decided to study here, Faust-san? I mean other than the fact your cousin runs the school?" The shy blonde spoke up, immediately apologizing for her outburst afterwards with a flurry of hand movements.

I waved off her apology, settling more comfortably in my seat as the cram students swarmed me. Apparently, class really was over for the day, as Yukio did nothing to stop the barrage of question. Inwardly, I think he enjoyed seeing me come up with believable lies, and perhaps subconsciously, thought that my words would reveal my true nature. Unfortunately for him, when needed, I was quite the skilled liar, even if I was fond of being blunt and honest.

Clearing my throat, I spoke, "Well, I'd be lying if I didn't say Faust was partly responsible for me coming to study at the Academy. But, True Cross has one of the best exorcist programs in the world— it would be foolish not to go here."

"Is there a reason you want to be an exorcist?" Kamiki questioned, flicking back her pigtails. There was a sort of calculating look in her eyes; unlike the blonde earth-tamer, she still had doubts about my sudden arrival at True Cross. Arguably, she had every right to be weary of me.

Here I was, some distant 'relative' of the principal of one of the greatest exorcist academies, who looked nothing like him. I even had an unnatural appearance and my acceptance into the Academy was not documented anywhere— Yukio had been sure to blow my cover of being a regular new student. And it didn't help that the bespectacled youth made the entire class vacate the room just to talk privately to a 'transfer' student.

I gave a polite grin, speaking warmly to the violet-haired girl in an attempt to rid her of her skepticism. "My bloodline is tied to water demons. They were my great ancestors and gave my family power as a result. However, I need more strength to... prove myself. I want to become an exorcist to be stronger, so no one will think I'm useless ever again."

The best of lies are laced with half-truths, after all. I did want power. But I wasn't going to get it by becoming an exorcist; it would require the death of Rin Okumura.

* * *

Eventually, cram school was over. I had answered a few more standard questions (my favorite color, types of music I listened to, what subjects I was good at, if I had a meister planned, etc.) before Yukio dismissed us. I waited until the entire class (minus the twins) was gone, giving one final wave to my classmates before my smile slipped away. My jaw hurt; I wasn't used to smiling this much.  
Rubbing my chin sourly, I turned to the Okumura twins.

"Training starts tomorrow. It will take place every other day. I'll secure a training room from Mephisto later." My tone left no room for argument. Although it looked as if Yukio were planning a rebuttal, Rin dragged him away, muttering something about needing help with the homework he assigned.

The behavior was odd to say the least. Perhaps the dark-haired teen was more observant than I gave credit for. Could he sense the malicious aura around me? Or was my display of flames enough to scare him? Despite my pondering, the classroom soon became too quiet. It was as if I was in Gehenna again, all alone in an ocean of sand and demon skeletons.

And so I left shortly after the twins, humming to fill the silence. My steps pointed towards the run-down male dormitory where I imagined Rin and Yukio would be given quite a surprise.

* * *

I passed the dormitory threshold, shutting the door softly behind me. I didn't want the twins knowing of my arrival just yet. I had a mean streak, after all, to uphold as a demon. Instead, I slinked through the corridors, following my nose towards a delicious aroma. Ah, that's right. I forgot; the file Samael gave me mentioned that Rin was an exceptional cook.

I passed by the kitchen, finding the dark-haired son of Satan busy at the stove. He was chatting casually with Yukio, who sat at the dining table. He had his glasses off, lounging almost lazily in the wooden chair. It seemed even he grew tired every now and then.

I smiled wryly. It was time to have some fun.

"Good evening, Okumura twins~!" I said with my best Mephisto impression, voice light and cheerful. My sudden outburst caused Rin to burn his hand on the stove while Yukio reflexively felt to his side where his holster would normally have been, if he hadn't already retired into casual clothing. He slipped his glasses on a moment later, rubbing at his temples as Rin continued to yell in pain, a flurry of expletives rushing from his mouth.

"What are you doing here, Acacius?" Yukio asked, looking at me a bit wearily. Without his guns, the teen was defenseless and he knew it.

Rin on the other hand tried to divide his attention between me and the food he was preparing. I guess he really took his cooking seriously, because he continued to use the frying pan even though a potentially dangerous demon was standing in his kitchen.

"Mephisto forgot one crucial detail. As I am masquerading as a high school student, he gave me permission to live in the male dormitory with you two." I gave a fanged grin at the look of displeasure that crossed both of their faces.

"I'll be sleeping in the room beside yours. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I hope we can all live together happily!" I gave a cheery wave, my nice human act probably giving the twins emotional whiplash. Ah, it was so fun, toying with their emotions.

I couldn't wait to see Yukio's reacting when I killed his brother…

Disappearing up the stairs, I returned to my room, settling onto the bed with a warm sigh. Perhaps pretending to be human wouldn't be that bad after all. I mean, I got to be the perfect devil _and _steal Satan's flames. With these thoughts swirling through my head, I almost didn't hear the knock at my door a good twenty minutes later.

I sat up as Rin entered, carrying a plate of food. He looked away from me, a frown set on his youthful features. "…Just eat it, alright? I made too much and it would be a waste to throw it away."

With a laugh, I took the plate. "Thanks, Rin."

He muttered back a "whatever," before basically sprinting out of the room. I filed the boy's actions in my head. So he was truly a kind person under his delinquent persona. Interesting…

It would be that much easier to gain his trust, then. I could act in my usual trickster fashion around the twins, but with a sort of kindness that would eventually make them unwary of me. I could keep my base personality, thankfully, and still become 'friends' with them. Or Rin, at the very least. I'm sure he would accept an apology for my somewhat rude behavior and eventually convince Yukio that I wasn't that bad of a person.

I just needed time. And assuming I had an entire school year, it made the plan that much easier. Taking a bite of Rin's cooking, I realized immediately this would be another perk of masquerading as a human. The food really was astounding. Everything, from the sauce on the chicken to the vegetables, was made perfectly. A shame it would end after I killed him; I think I could really get used to his cooking.

After finishing my meal, I allowed myself a bit of a respite. I was tired from my trip to Assiah still, and sleep seemed like a necessity. As a demon, however, sleep did not come easy. It was around four in the morning that I found myself welcomed to the dark abyss of nothingness that sleep provided.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys D: I meant for this chap to come out earlier, but I was out of town and where I was staying there was no wifi/computers. Needless to say, I typed up the majority of this chapter on my Ipod, so I apologize for any typos/grammatical errors ^^' Still, I hoped this chap was at least mildly entertaining :P

Poor twins, Acacius is such a tease XD I highlighted some of his motivation for power in this chap, but his past has not been completely revealed. So yay, you can expect some character development in the future; stay tuned~!

_**Review?**_

-Isis


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